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Secondary education

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Original poster

Downe House/Tudor Hall/Stowe/St Edwards or..?

40 replies

PeriPathetic · 04/06/2013 14:51

Need full boarding for DD from 13+
Still unsure whether to go SS or Co-Ed, so advice gratefully received there!
Any opinions on the 4 listed above? Or alternatives. Between Bucks & Hants. Not too far west or south east. Or north!
Needs to have good connections to Heathrow (overseas parents) and outstanding pastoral care.
Favourite subjects include languages, sciences & art/textiles. She's not massively sporty.
DD, DH & myself have our favourites - but none are the same as each other so would love to get some more info.
Thanks!

OP posts:
happygardening · 04/06/2013 14:59

St Edwards would be my choice all the way 80% full boarders not going home on Saturday either although it is quite sporty although I understand the art dept (?textiles) is very strong. I personally wouldn't touch Stowe with a barge pole I never hear good things about it and a friend could tell a complete horror story from sending her DC there.
Cant comment on the other two.

Picturepuncture · 04/06/2013 15:01

Wouldn't touch Downe House.

Stowe for the right child (by that I mean, male and sporty)

St Edwards, lovely CoED school.

Tudor Hall gorgeous school, and if you want full boarding, single sex, I don't think you'd do better anywhere.

Hth Grin

Original poster
PeriPathetic · 04/06/2013 15:46

Helps a lot, thank you!
I'm visiting 3 out of the 4 in a couple of weeks so hoping get a feel for the places then.

Any thoughts on ss vs co-ed? I'm so undecided.

OP posts:
Xpatmama88 · 04/06/2013 16:12

If your DD is academic, should also check out Wycombe Abbey.

Original poster
PeriPathetic · 04/06/2013 16:17

No, she's not academic. But thanks for the suggestion.

OP posts:
PostBellumBugsy · 04/06/2013 16:25

Have only heard good things about St Edwards, but that is from friends with boys.

Picturepuncture · 04/06/2013 16:30

Statistically girls achieve better results at SS.

Tudor hall is fantastic pastorally and is a really small, quirky, family atmosphere type place where she would get loads of individual attention.

It has an unusually high % of UK based (as in almost all of them) full boarders meaning culturally it is quite homogenous (although caters well for sporty or arty or academic girls).

St. Edwards I believe is a little more diverse, greater access to the city and as a result pupils a little more 'streetwise'. Also excellent pastorally but more geared up for boys than girls so I'm told.

I would go SS, but I'm quite biased!

happygardening · 04/06/2013 17:06

"Also excellent pastorally but more geared up for boys than girls so I'm told."
Not true at St Eds all are treated the same and pastoral care is legendary.
"Statistically girls achieve better results at SS."
I might be wrong but I think this only applies to state ed.
We've got one in SS and one in coed I personally wouldn't make this my number one priority look at other things first and if all things are equal then think about this.

DeafLeopard · 04/06/2013 17:12

Bloxham also very good for pastoral support.

Picturepuncture · 04/06/2013 17:51

Prepared to be corrected on St. Edwards my knowledge is not as up to date as it could be on that one.

I agree Bloxham also a good option, but not as many full boarders?

Original poster
PeriPathetic · 04/06/2013 17:58

Thank you again. Bloxham didn't have enough going on at weekends for our situation. Really needs to be full boarding.

I'll tell you our preferences:
DH likes Tudor Hall (no boys Wink )
DD wants Stowe (friends are going there)
I prefer St Edwards.

OP posts:
happygardening · 04/06/2013 18:03

Bloxham is pretty third rate to be honest.

Picturepuncture · 04/06/2013 18:03

The thing about boys at Tudor hall is that there are socials to be looked forward to, and boys in school plays, and boys to beat at MUN etc... So while they aren't there every day they are still a feature!

Have you visited?

diabolo · 04/06/2013 18:05

I know two families with children at Tudor Hall, both parents and daughters are very happy with the school.

50shades1 · 04/06/2013 19:11

My dd joined Stowe in year 9 last September, it has surpassed our expectations and she has never been happier. She moved from a girls day school , in our experience, this was full of many undynamic old hags teaching, I'm sure not all girls schools are like this but I do think that in a co-ed school you may get get a more diverse range of teachers which I think is positive.
Stowe's pastoral support has been excellent. Academically , I know far more about her progress than I ever did at her girls school.
It is a busy, vibrant environment where she works hard, plays hard and also has tremendous fun, from discos to cinema trips etc.
Stowe is a breathtaking environment to live in. The girls boarding facilities are fantastic. As a parent I could not be happier with the choice of school that we have made for our dd .

Callofthefishwife · 04/06/2013 19:19

Only 2 stand out to me from your list and they are Tudor Hall and St Edwards.

Have only visited Tudor Hall. Loved it. Not too sporty. Good lot of weekend boarders. Socials with several boys schools.

St Edwards - have friends with DC there. Sounds a wonderful place. Keep hearing very good things. All friends DC very sporty indeed. Not sure if thats just a coincidence across a section of our friends all with very sporty DC or if thats a St Eds thing.

Stowe - never appealed enough to me to bother making the journey to visit.

Downe House - no personal experience of it at all but like the sound of their French Term/School thing they do.

Original poster
PeriPathetic · 05/06/2013 10:04

Thank you all.

Callofthefishwife Yes, agree the French term at DH sounds wonderful but sadly it only happens in one year group - DD will miss it.

Tudor Hall - hmm, I'd prefer a more multicultural population, but it does sound like a lovely school.

Stowe - can't get to view and think the list is closed now for the year we're looking at.

St Ed's - still top of the list but may be a bit too sporty for DD. Again, I'll reserve judgement until I've been.

Found another possibility last night - Heathfield. Any opinions on that one?

OP posts:
PostBellumBugsy · 05/06/2013 10:08

Heathfield would definitely tick your multicultural / international box as it is within 30 mins of Heathrow and has a high international intake.

susiewong123 · 11/06/2013 09:51

Any more views on Bloxham?!

Myrtille · 11/06/2013 23:53

Son went to St Edward's (everyone calls it Teddies) and had a great time. I'm sure they got the best out of him. The girls all seem very confident and I get the impression that they achieve well. The art and technology facilities are fantastic (as they are at many schools). Ceramics, jewellery, DT and art output is very good.

Given the selection of schools you have suggested, is there any reason for avoiding Headington as a SS option? My very unscientific experience of hockey and athletic matches between Headington, Oxford High and Tudor Hall gave the impression that the Headington girls seemed a very happy and sociable lot. Academic results there appear to be good.

JugglingChaotically · 16/06/2013 17:24

If you are looking at SS and Headington, have a look at Godolphin Salisbury. DD1 loves it.

Original poster
PeriPathetic · 16/06/2013 17:27

Thank you. Headington isn't full boarding enough for our needs.
Like the sound of the arts options at Teddies.

OP posts:
nennypops · 17/06/2013 21:40

I'd strongly recommend St George's Ascot. Very good in pastoral terms, better educationally than Heathfield, and also very convenient for Heathrow Airport.

Pythonesque · 19/06/2013 15:44

I heard the master at St Edwards speaking at an open day just before he started - he seems to have high aspirations for lifting the school academically without losing it's other positives. And I understand that they are about to open an additional girls' boarding house. I still think it's unlikely to be right for my daughter but have it on my personal "watch list"!

Mutteroo · 20/06/2013 23:30

Ask yourself where DD will be happiest in two years time. Is she a girly girl? Will it be beneficial or a hinderance to know have friends attending the same school? What are the full boarding numbers at your chosen schools? Once visited, where does DD feel most comfortable? Then there's the pastoral aspect of each school. You need to be comfortable with whichever choice is made too.

From year 9, DD was a day pupil at all girls school while DS boarded at a co-ed school. The schools were best suited to their personality & worked for them.